Communities

IET Communities provide like-minded people with opportunities to share ideas, collaborate, learn and network. With more than 100 Local and Technical Networks around the world, you can feel confident of finding a community that suits your interests.

Alternative career options for engineering graduates

Engineering skills open up a wide range of career options and your IET specialist status enhances your employability. Make your membership work for you.

Engineers and technicians are always in demand and the opportunities post-university are many, however you may have left education thinking that engineering is no longer for you.

In the current economic climate these engineering and technology skillsets are becoming even more sought after. However you should also remember, even if you move into another profession, to retain your specialist status as an engineer through IET membership.

Whether you take a leap into accountancy, banking, consultancy, or train to become a lawyer or teacher, you'll benefit from the title MIET.

Through IET membership you'll be able to continue to call yourself an engineer and keep your link with the engineering world open. Here's just a few examples of the ways IET membership will continue to help your career even if you move away from established 'engineering' jobs.

Keep informed

Consider the news available to you as an IET member, both online and through the IET's magazines. You'll continue to have access to a huge amount of information that will be useful in a number of career environments.

Take the IET's flagship magazine E&T [new window]. Covering such a wide breadth of topics, you're likely to find links to whatever career you end up in, as well as getting a regular updates from your engineering roots.

In addition, if you're considering going into teaching, the IET's Faraday website [new window] will be a great tool to support you with free teaching resources for science, design and technology, engineering and maths activities as well as information about our Faraday activity days.

Professional registration

Perhaps you're planning to leave the engineering career environment, however professional registration - the chance to become CEng, IEng etc - should not be thrown to the wayside.

Many of the proficiencies you must achieve to become registered can be found in a wide variety of working environments. You may find that if you become a technology teacher, for example, that you can still work towards professional registration.

And it works both ways. The proficiencies you'll rack up - and already will have through your course and work placements etc - will also be of great appeal to employers in a huge variety of markets, making you an even more appealing candidate when attending job interviews.

This is one of the most important reasons to maintain your IET membership beyond university.

Access to specialist information

The benefits of access to the IET's library and journals are multiple. The specialist information and expert white papers will help with further education as well as being a great resource for a number of areas, including law and teaching.

Great networking opportunities

IET events cover hugely different topics and range from social get togethers to informative lectures. Why give up the chance to stay in contact with other engineers or attend shows, trips or conferences that give you the chance to network and have fun.

These events may be useful to your chosen career - teaching especially, or may open doors to new career opportunities through networking.

Many events are arranged by local networks, so be sure to find out what your local community is up to. One good way to do so is to use the IET’s online collaboration platform MyCommunity.

The chance to further your education - regularly

IET members have access to a large number of courses that will enhance skill sets and job opportunities. You may be surprised to find the amount of crossover of engineering skills in other sectors.

The regular education opportunities can really improve your opportunities and knowledge, as well as great for keeping your engineering skills up to date.

Retain an engineering perspective on your work

Especially useful if you plan to make a move into law and finance that supports this sector, maintaining membership will ensure you don't lose your engineering perspective when you enter a new market.

Keep up to date with your specialist sector

You may move away from manufacturing or IT etc, however why waste years of education by losing your knowledge of a specialist area. Through the IET's Technical and Professional Networks (TPNs), you can keep informed of sector innovation and concerns as well as continue to be part of a specialist community that can influence change.